Oven

ABSTRACT

An oven having a toroidally shaped heating cavity therein with toroidal fire chambers coaxially mounted within the cavity in axially spaced-apart relationship and a rotatably mounted disk positioned therebetween to receive thereon materials to be heated. The oven has a central opening insulated from the cavity in which the mechanism for mounting the disk is mounted. The upper and lower fire chambers have flames injected therein in opposite directions and a wedge-shaped opening provides access to the disk.

United States Patent 7/1930 Lundborg.....................

Peter N. Latuff 1,771,853 868 n r y Paul. Minn. 55104 2,007,619 7/1935 Staniford et a1. 2,867,428 1/1959 Montagna....................

Primary Examiner.l0hn J. Camby Attorney-Merchant & Gould V w r o m N n L v w .m A 1 1 2 l 7 2 l i DU F 7 2 w 11 o m w r d w .m mm Em PF 09 1:1 25 4 24 5 [l 1 ABSTRACT: An oven havin g a toroidally shaped heating cavid-apart relationship and a between to receive ing insulated from the cavity in which the mechanism for mounting the disk is mounted. The upper and lower fire chambers have flames injected therein in opposite directions and a wedge-shaped opening provides access to the disk.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1927 Kutchka.......................

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INVENTOR. PETER JV. LHTl/FF AT TOF-TNEYS OVEN BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention Ovens are utilized in a great many fields for a great variety of tasks, including drying, baking, etc. In general, these tasks should be performed at a relatively uniform heat to prevent uneven drying, baking, etc., which might result in a portion of the material being incompletely heated and/or a portion of the material being overheated.

2. Description of the Prior Art In the prior art many generally circular ovens have been constructed with a rotating element moimted therein upon which the material to be heated is placed. As the material rotates through the various heat gradients within the oven all portions of the material are allegedly affected similarly so that the result is the same as it would be if the heat were uniform throughout the oven. In general, these ovens are unsatisfactory because the heat varies radically when the oven is opened to view or test the material. Further, the oven may still have heat gradients along the radii thereof, so that portions of the material are subjected to variations of heat even though the material is rotated through the oven one or more times.

A typical prior art oven is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. l,786,l42, issued to C. A. Wyman on Dec. 23, I930. This prior art oven discloses a circular heating chamber having a disk-shaped member rotatably mounted therein and heating ducts circulating heat from below the heating chamber to above the heating chamber and out an exhaust. The Wyman oven requires the individual utilizing the oven to open doors and insert and remove material therethrough. Because of differences of heat radiation at various points within the oven and because material must be inserted and removed'through the doors, substantial heat gradients will be fonned within the oven which will cause material therein to be heated different amounts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention pertains to an improved oven including a housing having insulated walls which define a generally horizontally oriented substantially toroidally shaped cavity with a coaxial centrally located opening insulated from the cavity, first and second heating means positioned within the cavity and spaced apart axially with a generally disk-shaped member rotatably mounted therebetween and a generally wedge-shaped opening extending radially inwardly toward the central opening to provide access to the upper surface of the disk-shaped member.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved oven.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved oven having an elongated heating chamber oriented in a generally toroidal shape and a rotatable disk mounted therein for moving material through said heating chamber.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved oven having an opening therein, which opening defines the beginning and ending of the heating chamber so that any gradients formed within the heating chamber will extend longitudinally (or circumferentially) rather than transversely (or radially) and, thus, will not adversely affect material passing therethrough.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved oven wherein the heat and speed may be adjusted so that the material is completed after one revolution therethrough and there is no necessity to open the oven several times to test or view the material, thereby greatly simplifying the operation and reducing the required effort.

These and other objects will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the accompanying specification, claims and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS According to the drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the figures:

FIG. I is a view in top plan of the improved oven, portions thereof broken away and shown in section;

FIG. 2 is a view in front elevation of the improved oven;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view as seen from the line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view as seen from the line 4-4 in FIG. 2, portions thereof removed;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view as seen from the line 5-5 in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view as seen from the line 66 in FIG.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view as seen from the line 77 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view in detail as seen from the line 8--8 in FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the figures, the numeral 10 generally designates a housing having an insulated generally cylindrical sidewall 11 and upper and lower walls 12 and 13. A tubularly shaped inner wall 14, having an outer diameter substantially smaller than the inner diameter of the sidewall I I, is affixed to the lower surface of the upper wall 12 in downwardly depending relationship and cooperates with the sidewall 11, upper wall 12 and lower wall 13 to define a substantially toroidally shaped cavity 15 therebetween. A wedge-shaped opening 16 is formed in the sidewall 11 and upper wall 12 and extends radially inwardly through the inner wall 14 to the central opening therein. The walls 11, 12, I3 and 14 may be constructed of any suitable heat-resistant material, including the insulation therein, and may have substantially any outer size and shape which will provide the desired functions.

A first tubular element 20, formed into a substantially toroidal shape, is mounted in the cavity 15 adjacent the upper wall 12 so as to extend from one side of the wedge-shaped opening 16 coaxially around the cavity 15 to the other side of the wedge-shaped opening 16. The end of the element 20 adjacent the left side of the wedge-shaped opening 16, as viewed from the front of the oven, is closed, except for an exhaust conduit 21 in communication therewith, and a wall 22 which extends downwardly from the upper wall [2 and projects radially from the sidewall 11 to the inner wall 14 and insulates the end of the element 20 from the wedge-shaped opening 16. The opposite end of the element 20 is closed by a plate 23 having a burner 24 affixed therein, which burner 24 will be described in more detail presently. The element 20 is formed of any suitable fireproof material, such as iron, steel, etc., which preferably will hold and distribute heat relatively evenly throughout the area thereof.

A second generally tubular element 30, similar to the tubular element 20, is mounted generally coaxially in the cavity 15 adjacent the lower wall 13. The tubular element 30 is formed into a substantially toroidal shape extending from adjacent one side of the wedge-shaped opening 16 to adjacent the other side thereof. The end of the element 30 lying below the closed end of the element 20 has a plate 31 affixed thereover with a burner 32 mounted therein and the opposite end of the element 30 is closed, except for an exhaust conduit 33, and insulated from the wedge-shaped opening 16 by a radially inwardly extending wall 34. The element 30 is preferably constructed of material similar to the element 20 and is spaced axially therefrom a sufficient distance to provide a heating chamber 35 therebetween.

The lower wall 13 has a coaxial opening 40 therethrough which is generally aligned with the central opening in the inner wall 14. A generally toroidally shaped well 41 is formed by extending coaxial radially spaced-apart walls axially upwardly from the lower wall 13. The inner diameter of the well 41 is approximately equal to the diameter of the coaxial opening 40 through the lower wall 13 and the outer diameter of the well 41 is somewhat smaller than the inner diameter of the tubular element 30. The well 41 has a substantial amount of loose fireresistant insulating material therein, which material aids in insulating the tubular element 30 and heating chamber 35 from the central opening.

The housing is mounted on a plurality of legs 45 so as to be spaced upwardly from the floor or ground. A platform affixed to the legs 45 in spaced relationship below the lower wall 13 of the housing 10 has a variable speed power transmission 46 driven by a gearhead motor 47 mounted thereon. The variable speed transmission 46 is infinitely variable between the maximum and minimum speeds by means of a control knob 48 positioned thereon. The output of the power transmission 46 is utilized to drive a two-speed power transmission 49 through a belt drive. The twospeed power transmission 49 provides the apparatus with a high and low speed. The output of the two-speed power transmission 49 is connected to a gearbox 50 through a belt drive and the gearbox 50 has a vertical output shaft 51 extending upwardly therefrom. The output shaft 51 extends upwardly through the coaxial opening 40 in the lower wall 13 of the housing 10 and through the central opening in the well 41. A hearing 51 affixed to the lower surface of the lower wall 13 maintains the output shaft 51 in a vertical orientation.

A disk-shaped member 55 is affixed to the upper end of the output shaft 51 so as to be oriented generally horizontally within the heating chamber 35. The outer diameter of the disk-shaped member 55 is somewhat smaller than the inner diameter of the sidewall 1 1 so that the disk-shaped member 55 will rotate freely therein and heat can circulate upwardly around the outer edge thereof. An angle iron 56 is affixed to the inner surface of the sidewall 11 so' that one arm thereof forms an inwardly directed shelf immediately below the diskshaped member 55 to prevent excessive axial movement thereof. The disk-shaped member 55 is spaced axially a short distance above the element 30 and is spaced axially a distance below the element sufficient to allow the placement of the material to be heated on the upper surface thereof. A door 57 affixed to the upper wall 12 in downwardly depending relationship at the right side of the wedge-shaped opening 16 (as seen from the front of the oven) and a door 58 adjustably affixed at the left side of the wedge shaped opening 16 partially close the heating chamber 35 at each end thereof and prevent substantial quantities of heat from escaping therefrom. The lower edges of the door 57 and the door 58 are spaced from the upper surface of the disk-shaped member 55 to allow material to be placed on the upper surface of the disk-shaped member 55 in the wedge-shaped opening 16, which material is carried into the heating chamber 35 and back into the wedgeshaped opening 16 by rotation of the disk-shaped member 55.

A generally cylindrical flange like member 60 is affixed to the underside of the disk-shaped member 55 and extends downwardly therefrom into the well 41. The flange like member 60 extends into the loose insulation in the well 41 and forms a heat barrier between the heating chamber 35 and the central opening through the lower wall 13, well 41 and inner wall 14. A generally toroidally shaped well 61 is formed on the upper surface of the disk-shaped member 55 by two upwardly extending radially spaced-apart coaxial cylindrical members. The inner and outer walls of the well 61 extend upwardly to adjacent the inner and outer surfaces of the inner wall 14. The well 61 has a substantial quantity of loose insulation material positioned therein, in a manner similar to the well 41. A downwardly extending flange 62 affixed to the lower surface of the inner wall 14 forms a generally cylindrical wall which extends into the loose insulation in the well 61 to complete the heat barrier between the heating chamber 35 and the central opening of the housing 10. Thus, the heating chamber 35 is substantially insulated from the central opening of the housing 10 and a minimum of heat is lost therethrough. 4

The disk-shaped member 55 is formed generally in the shape of a wheel with the well 61 and flange 60 affixed to a solid hub portion and a plurality of spokes 65 (see FIG. 4) radiating outwardly therefrom. An outer rim 66 is affixed to the outwardly extending ends of the spokes 65 to maintain them in the correct relationship. A plurality of panels 67 are constructed with upper and lower spaced-apart walls 68 and 69, respectively, forming a chamber 70 therebetween. The chamber 70 is enclosed sufficiently to maintain a loose insulation therein, which insulation prevents the upper wall 68 from becoming too hot because of the heat-conductive properties of the disk-shaped member 55. The upper wall 68 extends outwardly a slight distance beyond the edges of the lower wall 69 to form flanges which engage the spokes 65 and the rim 66 and, further, which mate with adjacent flanges to form a substantially planar upper surface on the disk-shaped member 55. Each of the panels 67 has an opening 71 therethrough adjacent the outer wall of the well 61, which opening 7! allows circulation of heat from the area in the heating chamber 35 below the disk-shaped member 55 to the area above the disk shaped member 55. Thus, heat can circulate freely around the outer edge of the disk-shaped member 55, as previously described, and through the opening 71 to provide substantially uniform heat above and below the disk-shaped member 55. An eccentrically shaped member 72 is affixed to the inner wall 14 at the wedge-shaped opening 16 so as to extend radially outwardly from the inner wall 14 into the wedge-shaped opening 16 a short distance beyond the openings 71 in the panels 67. The member 72 operates to close the openings 71 as they rotate into alignment with the wedge-shaped opening 16 and prevent heat from escaping through the openings 71 and the wedge-shaped opening 16.

In the present embodiment the burners 24 and 32 are a commercially available unit designed to burncombustible gas supplied thereto under pressure. In general, it has been found that the burners 24 and 32 produce the best results if gas supplied thereto is under a gauge pressure of at least fifteen pounds per square inch. It should be understood, however, that the burners will operate under other pressures and various devices might be utilized to raise or lower the pressure of the gas if desired. Further, various types of burners or other heat-producing devices, such as electrical heaters, might be substituted for the burners 24 and 32 as long as the substituting devices fulfill the required functions of providing a sufficient amount of heat and distributing the heat throughout the required area. The burners 24 and 32 inject flames in each of the tubular elements 20 and 30, which flames travel through the tubular elements 20 and 30 in opposite directions, and burned gases exhaust through the exhaust conduits 21 and 33, respectively. The exhaust conduits 2i and 33 extend upwardly through the sidewall 11 to the upper wall 12 and transversely through the upper wall 12 to a flue 75 at the rear of the oven. Both of the burners 24 and 33 are adjustable to vary the amount of heat in the tubular elements 20 and 30 but it should be understood that the burners might be set for a fixed heat if the oven is being used for a single product which does not require variations.

Thus, an improved oven is disclosed wherein material to be heated may be placed on the upper surface of the rotating disk and removed from the disk after heating without opening the oven or in any other way causing a variation of heat therein. Further, the oven is designed in a substantially toroidal shape so that all portions of the material are subjected to approximately the same conditions as the material passes through the oven, thus, insuring that all portions of the material will be heated equally. lt should be understood that conveyors and the like might be associated with the oven for supplying material to the disk-shaped member 55 and removing finished material therefrom, whereby, the heating process would be further simplified. In addition to the advantages in heating which the toroidally shaped heating chamber provides, the cool central opening allows the rotating mechanism to operate under substantially normal conditions (as opposed to the heating conditions within the oven) so that the operation and life thereof are greatly improved.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved oven comprising:

a. a housing having insulated walls, said walls defining a generally horizontally oriented, substantially toroidally shaped cavity therebetween with a generally coaxial central opening;

b. a first fireproof element positioned generally coaxially within the cavity adjacent the upper surface thereof and defining a substantially toroidally shaped fire chamber;

c. a second fireproof element positioned generally coaxially within the cavity adjacent the lower surface thereof and defining a substantially toroidally shaped fire chamber;

d. said first and second elements being spaced axially apart to define therebetween a heating chamber, said first and second elements being constructed for preventing substantial fluid communication between said heating chamber and said fire chambers;

e. a disk-shaped member;

f. rotatable mounting means affixed to said disk-shaped member and positioned within the central opening of said housing for rotatably mounted said disk-shaped member generally coaxially and horizontally within the heating chamber, said disk-shaped member being mounted in axial spaced relation from said first element a sufficient distance to receive on the upper surface of said diskshaped member materials desired to be heated;

g. means attached to said rotatable mounting means for rotating said member at a desired speed;

h. first and second burners mounted adjacent said first and second fireproof elements, respectively, for injecting a flame into each of the fire chambers; and

i. means affixed to said housing and communicating with the fire chambers for exhausting burned gases.

2. An improved oven as set forth in claim 1 having means affixed to said disk-shaped member and cooperating with the insulated walls of said housing for insulating the central opening from the cavity.

3. An improved oven as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first and second burners are mounted so that the flames injected into the first and second fire chambers are directed in opposite directions.

4. An improved oven as set forth in claim 1 wherein the insulated walls of the housing further define an opening between V the heating chamber and the exterior of the housing for providing access to the upper surface of the disk-shaped member.

5. An improved oven as set forth in claim 1 wherein the burners are a gas buming type and the burners further include means for receiving gas under pressure greater than atmospheric.

6. An improved oven as set forth in claim 1 wherein the underside of the disk-shaped member is at least partially insulated to prevent the member from overheating.

I. An improved oven as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first and second burners and the means for rotating the member are adjustable.

8. An improved oven as set forth in claim 1 wherein the burners are positioned to inject the flames into the fire chambers generally circumferentially.

9. An improved oven as set forth in claim 8 having in addition conduits for exhausting burned gases, said conduits communicating with said fire chambers at positions spaced circumferentially from the injected flames in the direction in which the flames are injected a distance greater than 

1. An improved oven comprising: a. a housing having insulated walls, said walls defining a generally horizontally oriented, substantially toroidally shaped cavity therebetween with a generally coaxial central opening; b. a first fireproof element positioned generally coaxially within the cavity adjacent the upper surface thereof and defining a substantially toroidally shaped fire chamber; c. a second fireproof element positioned generally coaxially within the cavity adjacent the lower surface thereof and defining a substantially toroidally shaped fire chamber; d. said first and second elements being spaced axially apart to define therebetween a heating chamber, said first and second elements being constructed for preventing substantial fluid communication between said heating chamber and said fire chambers; e. a disk-shaped member; f. rotatable mounting means affixed to said disk-shaped member and positioned within the central opening of said housing for rotatably mounted said disk-shaped member generally coaxially and horizontally within the heating chamber, said disk-shaped member being mounted in axial spaced relation from said first element a sufficient distance to receive on the upper surface of said disk-shaped member materials desired to be heated; g. means attached to said rotatable mounting means for rotating said member at a desired speed; h. first and second burners mounted adjacent said first and second fireproof elements, respectively, for injecting a flame into each of the fire chambers; and i. means affixed to said housing and communicating with the fire chambers for exhausting burned gases.
 2. An improved oven as set forth in claim 1 having means affixed to said disk-shaped member and cooperating with the insulated walls of said housing for insulating the central opening from the cavity.
 3. An improved oven as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first and second burners are mounted so that the flames injected into the first and second fire chambers are directed in opposite directions.
 4. An improved oven as set forth in claim 1 wherein the insulated walls of the housing further define an opening between the heating chamber and the exterior of the housing for providing access to the upper surface of the disk-shaped member.
 5. An improved oven as set forth in claim 1 wherein the burners are a gas-burning type and the burners further include means for receiving gas under pressure greater than atmospheric.
 6. An improved oven as set forth in claim 1 wherein the underside of the disk-shaped member is at least partially insulated to prevent the member from overheating.
 7. An improved oven as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first and second burners and the means for rotating the member are adjustable.
 8. An improved oven as set forth in claim 1 wherein the burners are positioned to inject the flames into the fire chambers generally circumferentially.
 9. An improved oven as set forth in claim 8 having in addition conduits for exhausting burned gases, said conduits communicating with said fire chambers at positions spaced circumferentially from the injected flames in the direction in which the flames are injected a distance greater than 180*. 